Travel and Day question - naturalisation

[Justlorde]

Hi,
I've had ILR from 2018 and Tier 2 before that. I hold Indian Passport.

1. The requirement is you need to be physically present in UK exactly 5 years before day of your application. Is the day of application, when I submit the form online and pay fee? Or when I do biometrics and application is submitted to Home office?
I paid fees on 8th March 2022 and my biometric is due on 25th March 2022
(so do I need to be in UK, physically on 8th March 2018 or 25th March 2018)

2. Whilst my naturalisation application is in process, I can travel freely with my Indian Passport + ILR (subject to having visa from country(/ies) I am travelling to?
If during my travel abroad, my naturalisation application is granted/approved, can I still return back to UK with my Indian passport + ILR ? This is prior to booking citizenship ceremony with council.

Thanks in advance!

[CR001]

1. Date of application is the date your submit and pay online and not the biometric appointment date

2. You are free to travel. You are only British once you have attended your ceremony and not from date of approval letter.

[Justlorde]

Thanks a lot

[secret.simon]

I paid fees on 8th March 2022 and my biometric is due on 25th March 2022
(so do I need to be in UK, physically on 8th March 2018 or 25th March 2018)

You'd need to have been in the UK on 9th March 2018, the start of the five year period immediatly preceding the date of application.

For simplicity's sake, it is commonly reduced to "exactly five years before the date of application".

If during my travel abroad, my naturalisation application is granted/approved, can I still return back to UK with my Indian passport + ILR ?

Yes. The mere approval of the application does not change your legal status. Only after you have attended the citizenship ceremony do you become a British citizen.

[MarkCa]

I paid fees on 8th March 2022 and my biometric is due on 25th March 2022
(so do I need to be in UK, physically on 8th March 2018 or 25th March 2018)

You'd need to have been in the UK on 9th March 2018, the start of the five year period immediatly preceding the date of application.

For simplicity's sake, it is commonly reduced to "exactly five years before the date of application".

If during my travel abroad, my naturalisation application is granted/approved, can I still return back to UK with my Indian passport + ILR ?

Yes. The mere approval of the application does not change your legal status. Only after you have attended the citizenship ceremony do you become a British citizen.

Just to clarify (as I will be in same situation soon), OP mentioned 2018 and then you used 2018 as well, shouldn't it be 2017?

[secret.simon]

Just to clarify (as I will be in same situation soon), OP mentioned 2018 and then you used 2018 as well, shouldn't it be 2017?

You are quite correct. It would be the relevant days in 2017, not 2018.